Agenda item

To submit a joint report by the Assistant Chief Executive – Partnerships, Community and Service Improvement and the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

The joint report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Partnerships, Community and Service Improvement) and the Head of Regulation and Economic Development seeking the Executives support for the delegation of specific powers to officers to facilitate the Council’s participation in the Development Consent Order processes linked to Horizon Nuclear Power (HNP) Wylfa Newydd New Nuclear Build and the National Grid North Wales Connection Project was presented.

The Assistant Chief Executive (Partnerships, Community and Service Improvement) reported that at present not all functions of the Council under the Planning Act 2008 are delegated and are therefore reserved to Full Council; delegations are therefore required to be put in place to enable the Council to effectively meet the challenging timescales and deadlines in connection with of the Development Consent Order (DCO) examination process for the HNP Wylfa Newydd New Nuclear Build and the National Grid North Wales Connection projects.  The delegations sought as outlined in the report are considered to represent an appropriate balance between seeking Member approval on the key principles and policy decisions required throughout the process and then allowing Officers to approve the final documents to ensure that responses can be submitted in accordance with the timetable. Further delegation from the named postholders to other Officers is also required in order to allow officers to be able to represent the Council effectively in the process, e.g. at oral hearings.

The Executive noted with reference to recommendation 2 in the report that sanctioning a departure from the bilingual policy for documents, representations and submissions as part of the DCO process is not done lightly and will only apply in those circumstances where deadlines and/or time limitations make the provision of bilingual documents by a specifc  date very difficult or impossible. It should be emphasised however that all documentation relating to the DCO process will be made available in the Welsh language.

The Executive noted further that it wished the delegations as proposed (recommendations 1 and 3) to be in consultation with the Deputy Leader and the Portfolio Member for Major Projects and Economic Development respectively.

It was resolved to recommend the following to the Full Council –

That the Council:

•  Delegates to the Assistant Chief Executive (Partnership, Community and Service Improvement) in consultation with the Deputy Leader, the authority to carry out all non-statutory community benefit negotiations and, where (in her opinion) time is of the essence, to make any and all decisions relevant to such negotiations in connection with, or arising from, either or both of the National Grid North Wales Connection Project and the Wylfa Newydd Nuclear Build Project

•  Departs from the bilingual policy for documents, representations and submissions made as part of the Development Consent Order process where it is important or where due to timescales, it is impossible for Officers to comply with the Council’s Welsh Language Policy and where the Chief Executive approves such a departure. To note however that all documentation will be made available in the Welsh language.

•  Delegates to the Head of Regulation and Economic Development in consultation with the Portfolio Member for Major Projects and Economic Development, the carrying out of all the statutory functions within the Council under the Planning Act 2008 as both Local Authority and Planning Authority in connection with or arising from either or both of the National Grid North Wales Connection Project and the Wylfa Newydd Nuclear New Build project.

•  Approves that both the delegations proposed above and any action to be taken under them may be further delegated to any Officer of the Council by the Officers to whom the powers are delegated.